PAIN THERAPY DEPARTMENT BEGINS OPERATIONS

BANJA LUKA, SEPTEMBER 2 /SRNA/ - The Pain Therapy Department has begun operating at the University Clinical Centre /UCC/ of Republika Srpska in Banja Luka, the first of its kind in Republika Srpska, marking a significant step forward in modern patient treatment and care at the healthcare institution.

Nikola Šobot, acting director general of the UCC, told reporters that the UCC is continuing to develop, adding that the new department is another in a series of important projects being launched.

"This department represents a major step forward and shows that we are here for our patients. We have our first subspecialist in pain therapy and an opportunity to help those who need it most," Šobot stressed.

He said that, regardless of the diagnosis, pain is an integral part of illness, noting that some patients are unable to function and are facing serious difficulties because they suffer from chronic pain.

"There are two groups of patients here: those with malignant diseases and those with musculoskeletal conditions. This department will lead to the development of new therapeutic modalities for such patients, allowing us to relieve their pain and make their lives easier and more bearable," Šobot stressed.

Dragan Rakanović, head of the Clinic of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care at the University Clinical Centre /UCC/, told reporters that the UCC is the first institution in Republika Srpska to have such a department, taking a systematic approach to addressing pain management in patients.

"This is a multifaceted and highly demanding issue. The department was opened following years of preparations in terms of equipment, facilities and staffing," Rakanović stressed.

He said that the UCC had trained and was continuing to train subspecialists in pain medicine in order to establish the department.

Suzana Šobot-Novaković, head of the Pain Therapy Department, thanked the UCC management, Šobot and the Republika Srpska Ministry of Health and Social Welfare for enabling them to complete their subspecialist training in Belgrade, as well as additional training in Croatia and Slovenia.

"There is a great need for this department because chronic pain lasting more than three months is a major health problem, with back pain being the most common," Šobot-Novaković stressed.

She said that the department would perform interventional pain management procedures, with the anaesthesiologist playing a key role.